Serie A Matchday 20: Top-four race hots up after winter break

James Nalton
LiveScore
  
Max Allegri will hope his Juventus team are not caught cold on their return to action
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Juventus host Napoli on Thursday eager to secure three points to get them back into the top-four race.

Second-placed AC Milan entertain Jose Mourinho's Roma looking to close in on leaders Inter Milan, whose game has been postponed due to coronavirus.

We have all the key information as Serie A returns from its winter break firing on all cylinders with a round of midweek fixtures on Matchday 20.

Game of the week: Juventus vs Napoli (Thursday, 7.45pm)

This battle between two Serie A giants is not the top-of-the-table clash of previous seasons but is still important for both sides’ top-four hopes.

Napoli are now seven points behind Inter after a poor run of form but will still believe they can catch the Milan club.

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Juventus are heading in the right direction having won four of their last five in Serie A, conceding just once.

On the other hand, their opponents have been beaten in four of their last seven Serie A games, with only Genoa and Salernitana losing more during this period.

Luciano Spalletti's side have won three of their last four league games against the Old Lady, which is as many as they managed in the previous 18 meetings.

From 2020 onwards, Napoli have beaten the Bianconeri more often in Serie A than any other side (three times).

Milan vs Roma (Thursday, 5.30pm)

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is enjoying another productive season at AC Milan

Milan will be hoping to keep the pressure on their city rivals when they welcome Roma to the San Siro.

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Stefano Pioli's side have won their last two league games against the capital club and could beat the Giallorossi three times in a row in Serie A for the first time since 1996 under Fabio Capello.

Striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has scored 11 goals against Roma in the Italian top-flight.

The 40-year-old Swede has netted more braces against the men from the capital than against any other side in Serie A.

Ex-Milan forward Stephan El Shaarawy scored his last Roma goal in the reverse fixture in October — a late consolation in a 2-1 defeat for Mourinho's men.

Lazio vs Empoli (Thursday, 1.30pm)

Lazio striker Ciro Immobile is behind only Fiorentina's Dusan Vlahovic in the Serie A goalscoring charts

Both of these sides will be looking to mount a challenge for European qualification in the second half of the season, with Lazio sitting eighth in the table and Empoli in ninth.

Recent omens look good for Maurizio Sarri's side, who have won each of the last six Serie A games against the visitors by an aggregate score of 11-2.

Indeed, Aurelio Andreazzoli's men have not scored an away goal against the Biancocelesti since March 2007.

Ciro Immobile is likely to be the hosts' key goal threat — only Fiorentina's Dusan Vlahovic (16) has more league goals than the 31-year-old.

This week’s other games

Sampdoria vs Cagliari (Thursday, 11.30am)

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Spezia vs Verona (Thursday, 1.30pm)

Sassuolo vs Genoa (Thursday, 3.30pm)

Follow each game with our unbeatable live scores service. Simply tap the Scores tab on the web or download the LiveScore app from the App Store for iOS devices or Google Play for Android.

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Serie AJuventusSSC NapoliInterAC MilanRomaAtalantaLazio

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